District On Deck
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Washington Nationals quietly put together a very productive offseason

By Pablo Roa

Sep 28, 2015; Washington, DC, USA; Washington Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo addresses the media after the game between the Washington Nationals and the Cincinnati Reds at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 28, 2015; Washington, DC, USA; Washington Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo addresses the media after the game between the Washington Nationals and the Cincinnati Reds at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports /
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Oct 31, 2015; New York City, NY, USA; New York Mets second baseman Daniel Murphy hits a single against the Kansas City Royals in the 9th inning in game four of the World Series at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 31, 2015; New York City, NY, USA; New York Mets second baseman Daniel Murphy hits a single against the Kansas City Royals in the 9th inning in game four of the World Series at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports /

2) The Offense: Balance, Contact and Speed

Going into the offseason, the offense was one of those things that Rizzo probably could have left exactly how it was last season and the team might still have been successful in 2016. After all, injury was the real problem for the lineup last season, and every player is on track to be healthy by Opening Day.

Sure, the Nationals had two key players in Denard Span and Ian Desmond leaving via free agency. But the team was prepared for those departures, with Michael A. Taylor and Trea Turner seemingly ready to take over at center field and shortstop, respectively.

But Rizzo wasn’t satisfied with the lineup as it was heading into the offseason, nor was he truly comfortable with the youngsters Taylor and Turner manning those positions on Opening Day. Rizzo made two key — albeit, not very “splashy” — acquisitions this offseason, and both could play a major role in the Nationals’ 2016 offense.

The first order of business for the Nationals was the middle of the infield. As mentioned earlier, shortstop was left vacant by Desmond, who remains unsigned in the free agent market. One of the first moves the Nationals made this offseason was to trade Yunel Escobar — one of the team’s best hitters in 2016 — to the angels in exchange for reliever Trevor Gott (more on him later).

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The prevailing wisdom at the time of the trade was that Turner would man shortstop and Danny Espinosa would play second base. Unless, of course, the Nationals were able to acquire a second baseman — in which case Espinosa would slide over to shortstop, which is his more natural position.

After trying and failing multiple times to bring in a second baseman, Rizzo finally found what he needed in Daniel Murphy. The team signed Murphy — a hero from last year’s postseason — to a 3-year, $55 million deal during the Holidays.

In Murphy, the Nationals get a player who makes solid contact and rarely strikes out, while also offering some pop. The deal also addressed the hole in the infield — Murphy will play second base while Espinosa will likely play shortstop until Turner is ready to play every day.

The Nationas also wanted a left-handed hitting outfielder. They tried and failed to sign free agent Jason Heyward early in the offseason, and for a while it looked like the team was prepared to go into 2016 with an outfield of Jason Werth, Taylor and Bryce Harper.

But Rizzo was able to address this need and more with a move last week that sent Drew Storen to the Blue Jays in exchange for outfielder Ben Revere. Revere bats left-handed, plays center field and hits from the leadoff spot — all of which the Nationals desperately needed this offseason.

Like Murphy, Revere makes incredibly consistent contact and rarely strikes out. He also gives the Nationals immense speed in center field and is a base stealing machine, something the team hasn’t had since Nyjer Morgan.

The Nationals’ offense had few weaknesses going into the offseason, but Rizzo addressed every single one of them. And with a few months to go before Opening Day, he’s probably not done making moves just yet.

Next: 3) Cleanup Duty: The Bullpen

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